Quidditchy Arms
by icantdeletethisaccountargh
Summary: In which Quidditchy is a word now and Lily does not like it /...liar.../


Nothing was ever the same between them. Every year, their attitude toward each other changed in some way. In the early days of Hogwarts, they each treated the other with contempt and distaste. Then the contempt turned one-sided sometime during fifth year. Then Lily had no idea what was happening between them. Were they friends? Were they more or less?

Six years only _seemed_ to be enough time to go through those changes. It blew Lily's mind out of the water. And then James had to go and actually change _himself_ and not just the way he acted towards her. He made himself easy to talk to and responsible and- dare she say it?- charming. It infuriated her to no end! How could he change himself to be so appealing and still be purely James Potter- funny and flirty and cheeky? It wasn't fair. He wasn't allowed to be so perfect; it confused her. Was he supposed to give in and let herself fall head over heels? Was he supposed to keep up with the contemptuous trend?

"Is this seat taken, gorgeous?"

And then there was that! Those compliments and pet names that used to always throw her into a fit now sent butterflies exploding in her belly. Why did he have to do that to her?

James tilted his head at the frustration that furrowed Lily's brow at his question. He hadn't gotten mad at him for saying things like that since last year. So what was the problem? Apparently, she had some internal argument and wasn't sure which side had one because she scooted down the bench and glared at him.

"Mean," she grumbled. James flopped down next to her, smiling.

"So I'm mean today? I guess that's better than when I was an arse-face," he joked lightly. Lily gave him a grumpy look and dipped her quill in the ink with too much force. "Let's see, what did I do this time? Was I… handsome? Nice? _Charming?_" he leaned close and waggled his eyebrows at the pouting red-head.

"That's exactly what you did," she accused. James settled into his studying, looking far too pleased with himself. Lily watched him from the corner of her eye. He still acted the same toward her so _why_ did she want to drag him away for a snog?

"You're gross," she threw in for good measure- more to convince herself than him. James smiled at his book.

"You're beautiful," he countered as if it was a perfectly acceptable comeback. Lily cursed his clever game plan.

"You're a trouble-maker."

"So are you."

"Your glasses are crooked."

"So are your boobs."

Both James and Lily glared across the table to Sirius who had decided to join them for study hall. He munched happily on something he had knicked from the kitchens and looked between them with a grin.

"They are not," Lily growled, crossing her arms self-consciously.

"Well…" James contemplated. He made a face. "Well, I think it's cute."

"_Mean_," she repeated, at a loss for something else to call him. She couldn't bring herself to use some of her old, more creative names. James put his arm around her shoulders- his big, warm, _James Potter_ arm. Instead of her old anger bubbling up, more butterflies tickled again in an all too familiar feeling.

Oh Merlin, she fancied James Potter.

"Don't worry Lils, I only notice it because I can't take my eyes off you," he comforted. Sirius grinned devilishly.

"I only notice because I enjoy appreciating the-"

"Because you're a pervert," James finished for him. Sirius didn't deny it. Lily tried to go back to her studying as easily as James did but one thing was gnawing at her and she was surprised that she hadn't made a stink of it already.

His arm was till around her.

That was _not_ helping her situation any. She didn't even know if they were _friends_ and here she was trying not to beat the feelings of attraction out of her and he was _not helping at all._

"Lily," James said in a soft, mockingly light tone. "Study hall won't help you if you don't use the time to study." They both ignored the blatantly-not-studying Sirius.

"You're arm," she pointed out evenly. The fingers on her shoulder wiggled. It was almost as if she could feel the individual muscles along her back. It was unnerving and warm and comfortable and very James Potter.

"What about it?" he teased.

"It's… it's…" wonderful, strong, beautiful? "_Quidditchy_!" she spat out desperately as if he should take offense to the made up word. Across the table, Sirius choked on his snack, laughing.

"Would you like me to remove my Quidditchy arm?" James asked. _Yes, yes, yes!_ Lily's mind screamed. _Move it and let me not like you in peace you jerk!_

"Not, it's fine."

Stupid mouth. Stupid brain. Stupid strong, Quidditchy arm holding her. Stupid beautiful James Potter being gorgeous and sitting so close to her that she was sure his cologne was going to follow her around for the rest of the day.

"You know, I think you're starting to like me," he said with a smug smile.

"Am not!" Lily startled at the pitch that had the other two sharing a _look_. She hated it when they did that.

"Face it, Lils, you're mad for our Jamsie here- Quidditchy arms and all," Sirius said as if his word was final.

For lack of anything clever to say (because more and more often she was having difficulty saying anything that might actually hurt either of their feelings) Lily stuck her tongue out at him. He returned the gesture.

"Children," James lamented teasingly. Lily ignored him and started exchanging rude faces with Sirius. "_Lily_, if you don't put that tongue away, you're going to have to put it to good use."

She pulled her face back to normal instantly and shot him an affronted look. "James Potter, never…. How dare!... _Gross!_"

_Smooth, Lily_, she cheered herself on. You're totally acting like a mature adult. But it wasn't her fault! It was that damned Quidditchy arm and the way her mind raced dangerously at just what "good use" entailed.

"I bet," James said so lowly and so close to her ear that her breath gave a shudder. "I bet that if I pulled you away right this second and shoved you in a broom closet, you wouldn't stop me."

Lily swallowed thickly. It felt like a ball of light made out of anticipation, nervousness, and eagerness grew in her chest and spread throughout her entire body. She should tell him off. She should have told him that it would only happen in his dreams. She should have said _no_.

"If you'll excuse me, I've got to go meet a professor," she said in a voice so even that it shocked her. James pulled his arm away and picked up her books.

"I'll carry these for you," he insisted and followed her out of the Great Hall. He walked just a half-step behind Lily, watching her and buzzing with hot excitement.

They didn't get very far before Lily felt herself pulled hard to their left and into a completely dark, cramped closet. There wasn't even a second to think. Her call of surprise was cut short by the crash of James' lips. The force of his body on hers had her pushed into the wall, completely at his mercy. The frenzied movements of his lips and hands wiped her mind of its ability to think of anything past him.

James was kissing her like he would die tomorrow and tugging her shirt free of its confines just so he had that much more skin to touch. Lily's hands found their way to his notoriously messy hair, braiding in it and clenching when he nipped at her bottom lip.

It ended almost as quickly as it had started. James pulled back, panting in her ear in a way that did not work in her favor. He drew her closer with the hands on her bare back so that her heaving chest pressed against his and chuckled into her ear.

"Told you you liked me," he teased. Lily clenched her fists in his hair until his face was right in front of hers again.

"You," she said firmly against his lips, "Are an arse-face. 

* * *

><p>Pages: 3<br>Words: 1,391  
>Disclaimer: Don't own<br>Notes: This one was fun to write :) Enjoy!


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